Confounding Variable
by TheJiffyLube6
Summary: Slightly AU- Delphine starts a new job as a researcher working for world-renowned scientist, Dr. Aldous Leekie at the prestigious biology program at the University of Minnesota. As she starts a new job in a new country, she can't seem to account for one unexpected confounding variable: Dr. Cosima Niehaus. (Slow burn: Cosima x Delphine)
1. Meet-Cute

**So, I have a feeling fans of my other stories will be none too pleased to see me starting a new story in a totally different fandom since I have a few unfinished stories already. But I just fell in love with the Cophine pairing so much after watching Orphan Black that I was inspired. Also, music is a huge part of my writing process and helps me get in the right mindset so if anyone is interested I was listening to Tegan and Sara's "Love They Say" from their album Heartthrob. I think it sets the tone pretty nicely for the story in general. I hope you all enjoy this!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1: Meet-Cute**

"'Shit. Shit. Shit," Cosima panted a continuous slew of profanity as she sat on the bus, nervously checking her watch every few seconds. One would think that it was her first day on a new job but she had been working for the University of Minnesota for over two years and yet she still couldn't manage to get there on time.

Legs bouncing in impatience, Cosima knew she had been late before she even stepped on the bus. This happened almost every day and every day she told herself it wouldn't happen again. Yet, here she was. Luckily, her stop wasn't too terribly far but just far enough to make it unfeasible to walk.

 _'Only three more stops…,'_ Cosima checked her watch again, noting that she was well over 15 minutes late at this point and it'd be at least another 15 if she was lucky. Noticing that they weren't moving, she glanced up from her wrist and observed the bus driver apparently having a conversation with someone who hadn't fully stepped onto the bus. Breathing an anxious sigh, Cosima couldn't help her frustration with this person holding up an entire bus full of commuters, conveniently disregarding the fact that she had already made herself late.

 _'Dude, come on! Are you seriously just gonna stand there and-,'_ her angry thoughts were cut short when the person finally climbed the steps and came into view in the aisle.

Coherent thought seemed to have left her as she laid eyes on the stranger. Cosima had seen a lot of beautiful women but this tall, blonde was easily the most gorgeous person she had ever seen. And that was saying something.

Unabashedly, Cosima drank in this woman's appearance. She had wild, curly blonde hair that fell slightly above her shoulders and smooth, fair skin with several beauty marks. She wore a simple long, black trench coat over form-fitting pants and heeled boots which only seemed to accentuate her height.

Cosima's eyes unconsciously travelled upwards to the angelic face of the woman, only to be distracted by the expression she witnessed there. The woman seemed to be upset- almost to the point of tears-, a deep crease of worry on her forehead. A slight ache in Cosima's chest caught her off guard. Why did she care if a random woman on the bus was upset? She didn't even try to understand why she suddenly felt the need to figure out what was wrong and make it go away. Logic had always been her strong suit, so why was it failing her now?

All of this happened within the span of a mere second or two. Cosima's eyes remained transfixed as the woman clung to one of the overhead safety bars, glancing around anxiously looking for a seat. Without really giving it much thought, Cosima stood, collected her work bag, and hesitantly made her way over to the woman, steadying herself with the vertical bars as the bus began to pull forward.

The closer she got to this woman the harder it seemed to breathe, like she was climbing some mountain and the air around her was thinning as she ascended. The blonde didn't seem to notice Cosima coming towards her yet because she adjusted her purse on her shoulder and scanned the first few seats in front of her- all full, of course, during the early morning rush. As she stepped within a few feet of the woman, hazel eyes lifted to hers and Cosima was pretty sure her heart had stopped beating. They were so open and full of obvious fear, causing the ache in Cosima's chest to deepen with some unknown emotion.

"Hey...Uh, you can have my seat. I'm getting off in two stops anyway," Cosima offered with more courage than she felt, attempting to sound nonchalant and knowing she had failed miserably. To make up for it, Cosima flashed her a friendly smile to hopefully ease the woman's anxiety. It was strange… all the science in Cosima's brain couldn't explain why she felt like she needed to help this person. But it was more than that… it felt as though invisible magnets were pulling her towards her and Cosima was powerless to fight it. Not that she really wanted to...

Seemingly all nerves, the woman gave her a shaky smile back before biting her lip in thought. Cosima's eyes watched this with a shudder that she tried to conceal. She hadn't been looking at the woman's lips but now she couldn't seem to tear her gaze away, even when the woman parted them to finally speak.

"Oh, merci… mais je pense…," she began in French before pausing and closing her eyes for a moment which gave Cosima's mind just long enough to go crazy.

' _Oh god. That voice. French_ ,' Cosima couldn't seem to force her rebellious brain to focus, not after hearing the beautiful voice that seemed more like music than language. She waited with bated breath for the woman to continue, eager to hear more.

"I am sorry, I mean to say, thank you, but I think I'm supposed to get off this bus in two stops as well, but I'm not sure," Cosima couldn't decide which was more beautiful: the woman speaking in French or English. The woman's accent was thick but her English was on point, easily better than Cosima's on her best day. She couldn't help the smile that stretched across her face, despite the turbulence of butterflies that seemed to be fluttering around her stomach.

"Me too. I mean- like I'm sure I'm getting off in two stops too," Cosima fumbled in her excitement, cursing her innate awkwardness but continued, jutting her hip out as she spoke, "I could, like, help you if you're lost or whatever… I'm not, like, hella good at directions, but I'm pretty familiar with the area."

' _What are you thinking!? You're already 20 minutes late for work! You don't have time to give her a freaking tour_ ,' one side of Cosima's mind argued with her which she easily disregarded. ' _Whatevs. I'm always late. Dr. Leekie won't even notice.'_

"Oh, non. I could not ask that of you. I'm sure you have some place you need to go," the woman replied with a shake of her head that caused the perfect blonde curls to fly across her beautiful face for a moment before settling back in their place.

"You're not asking, I'm offering," Cosima stated matter-of-factly with a playful smile that she couldn't seem to control. There seemed to be a lot going on that she couldn't control at this precise moment, actually. Her pounding heart, her breathing, the slight fluttering in her abdomen, not to mention her big mouth, "Where're you headed?"

A wide smile, showing off the French woman's perfect teeth caused Cosima to pretty much forget everything around them. Her hazel eyes had lit up with happiness and relief and it was making breathing simply impossible at this point.

"Merci beaucoup! I'm already late to my new job, so I'm so lucky to have your help," the blonde seemed genuinely grateful for Cosima's offer which didn't help the loud pounding in her chest which she was pretty sure everyone on the bus could probably hear. Despite the almost deafening sound of blood pumping in her ears, Cosima heard her continue, "I'm supposed to start work today at the University of Minn-ee-sot-a? The Department of Biology? Do you know it?"

The French woman totally butchered 'Minnesota' but Cosima couldn't help but find it endearing. Then her brain put it together… U of M…Science.

"Holy shit! You're Dr. Cormier!" Cosima blurted, not only startling the woman in front of her, but the entire bus full of people. Cosima was so taken aback by this new information that she didn't adequately prepare for the bus's rapid deceleration at the next stop, causing her to stumble forward.

Her body instinctively tensed itself for the inevitable impact of her face on the floor but it wasn't necessary. Cosima's eyes had scrunched shut, hoping that her glasses didn't get broken so she didn't see what happened next but she certainly felt it. Her cheek landed against something soft and her body followed suit shortly after, a strong arm securing her in place.

Realizing she hadn't face-planted, Cosima cautiously opened her eyes and was met with those blonde curls. Slowly, she tilted her face back and got the full scene. She looked up at the beautiful face next to hers, her vision blurry from her glasses being knocked askew. Cosima was pressed tightly to the French woman's body, her hands pinned between them, grazing the pale skin over her collar bone. The woman stood with her left arm still clinging to the bar above her and her right was snuggly around Cosima's waist.

"Est-ce que tu vas bien? Are you all right?" the woman started in French and corrected herself quickly, concern etched in her knitted brow. Cosima was too distracted by their sudden closeness to comprehend the words coming from the woman's lips. People were shuffling past them, practically shoving to get off at their stop, probably frustrated with the two women standing in the middle of aisle but Cosima didn't care or even really notice.

The bus accelerated forward and Cosima would have probably fallen on her ass if it wasn't for the blonde continuing to hold her firmly in place. The motion of the bus moving again seemed to bring Cosima back to reality.

"Oh wow, I am s-SO sorry. Uh, I-I think we're the next stop," Cosima stuttered, practically jumping away from the woman, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. She took a moment to nervously shove her glasses back into position on the bridge of her nose.

' _Dr. Cormier…_ ' Cosima should have known. I mean how many French speaking people could there be in the Twin Cities… starting jobs at U of M… in the biology department no less. It had to be the new Director of Immunology from Paris that Dr. Leekie had been talking about last week.

"D'Accord, but are you sure you're fine?" the French woman asked, her voice an octave lower and filled with concern. Cosima braved a glance up to those eyes and was overwhelmed by the obvious worry she saw there. She attempted to compose herself, unable to deny the fact that she missed the warm contact of the woman's body. What was happening here? This was a stranger. A beautiful, French stranger, but a stranger none the less.

"No- I mean, Yes, yes, really I'm fine. Let's head to the front, Dr. Cormier," Cosima assured her with the best smile she could muster with her nerves so shot. She had tested the woman's name again just to be sure and she was not disappointed.

"How do you know my name?" The French woman questioned throwing a curious glance over her shoulder at Cosima as she walked up the aisle to the door of the bus. Once there, she stopped and turned around to face her once again.

"It's kind of a hella crazy coincidence but I'm a researcher in the Biology Department of the University too. Dr. Leekie told us you were starting today," Cosima blurted in kind of a rush, doing her best to avert eyes so she wouldn't get all weird again. Plus, she still wasn't a hundred percent sure if her heart was pounding because of almost face-planting a minute ago, anxiety about being late, or the way those hazel eyes were studying her.

Recognition flashed across her face, and an almost giddy smile spread across her features again causing Cosima to flush. Then, the French woman spoke teasingly, "C'est le destin! Then we shall both be late together, oui?"

Cosima couldn't help the toothy grin she gave her even if she wanted to. She sensed they were getting close to their stop but she was dreading the moment ending. Which was ironic considering how antsy she was to get off the bus mere moments ago. She watched as the French woman adjusted the bag on her arm, so she could outstretch her hand towards her.

"Delphine," she introduced with a warm smile and something in her eyes that Cosima couldn't quite read. The name seemed to flow off her tongue; a beautiful name for a beautiful woman. Cosima couldn't quite help the way her eyes travelled to Delphine's lips, mesmerized by the sound of her voice.

"Cosima," she replied with a grin of her own, taking Delphine's hand to shake. Instantaneously, Cosima could feel the connection. There was something here. She could feel it in the electricity that shot through her body at the supposedly friendly gesture, in the warmth that filled her chest, and especially in the way her stomach seemed to be doing flips.

"Enchanté," the French rolling off Delphine's tongue sounded so intoxicating, making Cosima lose herself in the sound momentarily once again before being able to find her own voice.

"Enchanté," she attempted to mirror the inflection and failed miserably but Delphine just smiled wider in response. Cosima released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding as the bus pulled to a stop.

* * *

Delphine stepped off the public transit bus, closed her eyes, and was able to take a calming breath before the dreadlocked woman stepped up beside her. She could not even begin to identify, much less understand the emotions that were swirling through her after meeting this woman.

When she had started her morning, Delphine had been a nervous wreck anyway. The idea of starting a new job in a new country terrified her but it had been the opportunity of a lifetime. One she would not have had in Paris. The research being done by Dr. Leekie at the University of Minnesota (which she still couldn't really pronounce) in Immunology, Evolutionary Development, and Eugenics was unmatched anywhere. She had spent the better part of an hour trying to figure out what to wear and what to do with her hair when she finally gave up in the name of being on time. She had left with plenty of time, or so she had thought. But just simply couldn't find the bus stop and she almost got on the wrong bus several times. By the time she was on the right one, she was already late. There was not much that bothered her more than being late, on her first day no less!

So, she must have been a terrible sight in her flustered state when the dark haired woman got up to offer Delphine her seat. That is the only explanation for why Cosima had been so nice to her. She couldn't help but notice the way her breath hitched in her throat when her eyes met Cosima's behind those thick-rimmed glasses.

Delphine remembered how those dark eyes, with the heavy eyeliner to accentuate them, had a friendly glint as she offered her seat up. She had been so taken aback that she did not realize until half-way through her sentence that she had been speaking in French.

The woman's hair was pulled up in dozens of thin dreadlocks that must have taken a very long time to perfect. She wore a long red wool coat with a scarf, and black tights. She almost didn't notice the heeled-pumps because Delphine still seemed to tower over her. A small nose ring graced her right nostril which Delphine found intriguing; she did not know very many people in Lille or Paris with facial piercings but she felt it suited the woman well.

Delphine tried to ignore the feelings she had when Cosima had basically fallen into her arms on the bus. It had been so sudden and unexpected but instinct had allowed her to step forward and catch the woman before she fell and got hurt.

Her heart had raced; at first in fear that the dark-haired woman was going to get injured and then for other reasons. Once she was assured the woman was fine, Delphine had not been ignorant of their closeness, particularly the closeness of their faces. She could feel the other woman's soft breath on her neck and the warmth emanating from her smaller body. But the lithe fingers that somehow ended up pressed against the skin of Delphine's collar bone had almost been too much to take. When Cosima stepped away from her, Delphine couldn't deny that she had missed the warmth or not notice the dull ache in her chest.

Finding out that the woman would help her find her way had been such a relief, but then, to realize that they were working in the same department of the same university had certainly been fate. She had so many questions for this woman, but she knew now was not the time. This thought and Cosima's voice seemed to pull her back to the present almost simultaneously.

"Hey, you'll do fine," Cosima's assured her with a gentle squeeze of her upper arm, the contact, while not skin-to-skin still sent shivers through Delphine's body. Cosima must have sensed distraction and mistaken it for anxiety about starting her new job.

"Merci, Cosima," Delphine gave the smaller woman an appreciative smile, trying to mentally calm her frayed nerves.

"Did they tell you where they wanted you to go to first? The labs? The offices? Either way the Biology Department is in this direction," Cosima directed her and Delphine made a conscious effort to shorten her stride to match the shorter woman's.

"Over the phone Dr. Leekie told me to meet him at the main office," Delphine replied, attempting to focus her mind on starting her new job and not the woman beside her. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Cosima shove her bare hands into her jacket pockets to protect them against the bitter wind whipping around them. Delphine was used to cold temperatures, growing up in northern France but she still never enjoyed the biting cold of winter.

Cosima motioned with her head in the direction they were headed, "It's this brick building right up here." Delphine pulled her phone out of her pocket to check the time.

"Merde," she hissed under her breath, seeing that she was now officially over half an hour late. She could feel Cosima's eyes on her but if she heard her profanity she said nothing. Finally, they made it to the double doors of the building; the main office according to Cosima.

The shorter woman reached out and held the door open, allowing Delphine to pass through. She smiled and breathed a quick 'merci' before heading into the building.

From the outside it had looked like a dull gray building but the inside was much more modern than she expected. There was security and a front desk with a receptionist and the décor was minimal but sleek.

Cosima appeared beside her once again and led her up to the front desk, frowning at the blonde woman there.

"Well howdy stranger," the front desk woman gave Cosima a flirtatious smirk that made it blatantly obvious that they weren't strangers. Her immediate distaste for this woman surprised her but there was something about the way she was looking at the dreadlocked woman that was making Delphine's blood boil.

"Hey, Shay. Obvs I'm late, but look, it's Dr. Cormier's first day and she's supposed to be meeting Dr. Leekie first thing. Have you seen him?" Cosima said in a rush, looking mildly uncomfortable. Shay's blue eyes lifted to meet Delphine's and it was impossible to not feel the woman sizing her up. Attempting to be polite, Delphine offered her a tight-lipped smile and a small wave.

"Really, Cosima? After last week, this is how you greet me?" the woman's voice was soft but she was blatantly trying to toy with Cosima. Despite this, some reason she was mad at this woman for making Cosima feel this way and there was some other feeling that she couldn't name.

Delphine felt a little awkward being between these two women who obviously had had some kind of relationship but she was kind of in a hurry. Cosima seemed to be on the same page because she took a calming breath before speaking,

"Dude, Shay… can we not right now?"

The blonde shook her head slowly, but picked up the desk phone. Cosima turned to Delphine and mouth 'I'm sorry,' before turning back to the desk, bouncing on the balls of her feet in impatience.

"Dr. Leekie, there's a woman he-," Shay began, but Delphine watched as Cosima leaned forward and interrupted,

"Her name is Dr. Cormier." There was a definite edge to the smaller woman's voice and Delphine's heart fluttered a little. She had no idea why this woman she had just met was defending her to a coworker and… lover? That thought left a bad taste in Delphine's mouth and fire in her chest but she did her best to dampen it.

"Dr. Cormier is here to see you," Shay finished after an exaggerated roll of her eyes. She must have gotten an answer because she hung up the phone a second later.

"He'll be right down," she said matter-of-factly. Despite Delphine's unjustified feelings towards this woman she made sure to throw a 'merci' in her direction before Cosima turned to her.

"Nervous?" she asked simply, throwing a cautious gaze towards the Shay woman again.

"Oui, very much so. What is Dr. Leekie like? Will I be in trouble for being so late? Do you think I will be fired befo-," the words came pouring out of her in a worried rush but she was cut short by the dark-haired woman stepping square up in front of her and taking her by the upper arms. The chocolate eyes looked up at her and Cosima flashed her perfect smile at her. Delphine was so distracted by these things that she almost didn't catch the woman's words.

"Hey, believe it or not I was later than you on my first day," she attempted to sound serious, her accent so brashly American that Delphine couldn't help the genuine smile and the short laugh that escaped her lips. She used to think American accents were so harsh, their slang unrefined, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't like the way Cosima made it sound.

"You? I cannot imagine," Delphine teased back, and she felt a little flutter in her chest when Cosima gave up trying to be serious and a toothy grin broke out across her face.

Shyly, she averted her gaze from the dark eyes staring back at her, mostly because she couldn't handle the way they were making her feel. Things like: she secretly wished that she wasn't wearing her jacket so she could feel Cosima's hands on the bare skin of her arms. Just as she thought this, those hands gave Delphine's biceps a gentle squeeze before speaking,

"It's true...hey," the woman in front of her seemed to sense her unease and was standing on her tiptoes in an attempt to re-capture Delphine's gaze. Unconsciously, the corners of her lips had curved downwards, distracted by trying to understand where these unexpected feelings towards this stranger were coming from. Cosima must have thought her frown was all to do with anxiety about her new job because those warm eyes and her gentle words attempted to comfort her, "Everything will be fine. You are gonna do great. Trust me."

And Delphine did. She had no idea why. She tried to tell herself that it was because Cosima had helped her find her way when she was lost, but there was something else nagging at her heart that told her it could possibly be something else. Whatever it was she didn't get a chance to pick it apart right now because at that moment she heard a door open.

Cosima's hands slowly dropped from her arms and Delphine immediately missed the contact. Trying to ignore the feeling, she turned with the shorter woman towards the sound and her eyes were met with a tall man in a lab coat.

She recognized Dr. Leekie instantly from her Skype interview; a broad smile seemed to take up the better part of his face, large, perfectly straight teeth glinting off the artificial lights of the lobby. As he stepped up in front of her and Cosima, Dr. Leekie held is hand out to her with an almost too wide grin. She took his hand, trying to return the friendly gesture as he greeted,

"Bienvenue à l'Université du Minnesota, Dr. Cormier.''

* * *

 **Well, there is the first chapter! Let me know what you all think! If it gets a pretty positive response I'll post the next chapter in a couple days. I have a couple of chapters written out already but I kinda want to see what everyone thinks before I get in too deep! Thanks!**


	2. The Tour

**Thank you for those that read and especially those who read and reviewed! Seeing as how I seemed to have gotten a positive response, I will continue this story as long as there are people reading it. I meant to post this chapter Friday but work got the best of me but here it is now!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 2: The Tour**

Cosima stood off to the side and watched as Dr. Leekie welcomed Delphine to the University, a little bummed that her moment with the woman had passed. She had helped her our and gotten her to where she needed to go, so there really was no reason for her to still hang around. Yet, she couldn't seem to get her legs to move and leave the intriguing French woman's presence.

Also, it might have been Cosima's imagination, but it felt like Dr. Leekie held Delphine's hand just slightly too long for a polite hand shake. But she decided to ignore it. A lot of feelings had been crashing around inside of her this morning so she was probably just being weird again.

Then Dr. Leekie leaned forward and kissed both of the French woman's cheeks and immediately she felt uncomfortable. She could feel the heat creeping up her neck, and her mouth going wasn't stupid; she knew that was a common, friendly greeting in Europe, but that didn't stop her natural reaction to it. There was just something about Dr. Leekie's greeting that seemed different; she couldn't think of him welcoming any other new employees this way.

Puzzled at this new development, Cosima tried not to pick this apart for right now. Instead she was just going to keep doing what she always did: just go with whatever feels right. So, she turned off the overly analytical part of her brain for now and tried to pay attention to the interaction in front of her.

"Merci, Docteur Leekie… Tu parle français?" the French woman replied, seemingly unphased by Dr. Leekie's welcome but Cosima could still see the nervousness in the small mannerisms and how she was speaking with her hands. She couldn't explain how she knew these were anxious gestures, seeing as how she had literally just met this woman, but the nervousness practically radiated off of Delphine.

' _Why, in the ever-loving hell, did I drop out of French in high school?_ ' Cosima thought bitterly as she listened to their short exchange grumpily.

"Oui, un peu. Je voudrais en savoir plus," her boss responded and Cosima couldn't help but notice the way Delphine's smile faltered a little at his remark. She only knew a little French, but Cosima got the context and she wanted this to end this. She couldn't stop that uncomfortable feeling that crept over her again. She had never had any issues with Leekie but there was something about this exchange with Delphine that felt not quite right and she wanted it over.

Clearing her throat a little too loudly, Cosima forced a smile in Leekie's direction and entered the conversation with,

"Yeah, weird coincidence, but I totally bumped into Delphine here on the bus this morning. Sorry I got her here late but you know me: kinda always late, kinda always sorry," she said with a smirk and both of them gave a small laugh in response. She met Delphine's hazel eyes though and she could see the gratitude in their depths and she mouthed, 'merci,' to Cosima while Leekie was still focusing on her. Cosima's smile widened and she gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.

"Well, I think we can let that slide for today. Would you like to see your new lab, Dr. Cormier?" Leekie offered, stepping away from them briefly towards Shay at the desk.

"Oui! I'd love to," Delphine gushed, all nerves gone, replaced only by excitement. This made Cosima smile to herself, watching the French woman's hazel eyes light up with happiness.

"Excellent. Here is your badge; it'll get you through most doors in the Biology Department. For security reasons, there are still a few labs restricted to staff based on security clearance. I'm sure you understand," Dr. Leekie had gotten the badge from an unimpressed looking Shay, whom Cosima was doing her best to ignore, before passing it on to the French woman. Delphine accepted it with a grateful smile and unbuttoned her long jacket so she could clip it to her the belt loop of the tight fitting pants she wore.

"Of course," the blonde responded simply to the doctor before she turned her attention to Cosima. Her breath hitched in her throat a little as the French woman grinned from ear to ear with excitement, dimples creasing her smooth cheeks. That smile was infectious and Cosima returned it easily with one of her own.

"Alright, then let's get going," Leekie words brought her back to reality and her smile faltered a little as Delphine followed him through the main door.

She had to take a moment and just breathe before she could follow them. What was happening here? What was it with all of these feelings? She didn't even know this woman at all and yet her heart was still pounding erratically in her chest at that smile directed just at her. Oxygen was just beginning to return to her lungs as she took a few settling breaths. She was acting like she had never seen a beautiful woman before.

' _She's probably straight anyway_ ,' Cosima thought bitterly, watching Delphine and Leekie's retreating backs. This was ridiculous and contrary to everything Cosima knew to be true. She couldn't have feelings for someone she had just met. Yet, her body's reaction was telling her otherwise. The one thing she did know for sure was that she was looking forward to getting to know this intriguing French woman.

"Good luck with that," Shay's voice dragged Cosima out of her reverie and she turned to look over at the blonde woman behind the desk. Shay had a knowing smirk on her face and all Cosima could manage was a frown in response. She really didn't feel like dealing with Shay right now. Instead, Cosima adjusted her bag on her shoulder and followed the other two scientists.

* * *

' _Mon Dieu,_ _this place is huge_!' Delphine thought incredulously as she and Dr. Leekie passed lab after lab down what seemed like a never ending hall. Cosima followed a few steps behind and, while she was comforted by the other woman's presence, Delphine wished she was closer.

It was thoughts like these that she'd been having about Cosima since they had met less than an hour ago that took Delphine off guard. They didn't even know each other. She tried to explain it away by convincing herself that she was just looking for a friend in this new country. But she wasn't sure that's what this was...

Dr. Leekie stopped next to her at a door on her left, so lost in thought was she that she almost didn't realize he was no longer walking. Once her brain caught up, she stutter-stepped awkwardly to a halt and he gestured to the door to her left.

"After you, Dr. Cormier," he spoke. Delphine covered the shudder she felt at his voice by reaching for her badge. There was something about him that rubbed her the wrong way. She couldn't put her finger on it and she was probably just being silly. This man had offered her this amazing position at this prestigious University, so why couldn't she just be grateful?

When his lips had touched her cheek, she had to physically restrain herself from jerking her face away from him. Yes, it was a perfectly normal gesture in France but there was something about the way this American doctor had paused with his lips on her cheek that made her uncomfortable. Delphine tried to shake the feeling away, after all he had been nothing but nice to her, but it was still nagging at her.

She heard Cosima's pumps click up behind her on her the linoleum floor and Delphine breathed a small sigh of relief at the woman's nearness. Then she heard the upbeat voice from behind her,

"Sweet! Right across from my lab."

She seemed to have swallowed butterflies because it felt like little wings were tickling her insides at the sound of Cosima's voice. Just as she couldn't understand her unjustified feelings toward Dr. Leekie, Delphine's need to be near the dreadlocked woman perplexed her even further.

Doing her best to ignore her feelings toward either of the people next to her, Delphine stepped up to the door and brought her badge up to the scanner. It turned green and for some reason that made this amazing new job all the more real, she threw a smile in Cosima's direction before pushing the door open.

Her eyes attempted to drink it all in, but it was impossible. Everything was so pristine, from the brand new high tech microscopes to the various state-of-the-art computers. She had dreamed of having her own lab since undergrad biology but she could never have imagined something like this. It was incredible and it was all hers.

So lost in exploring her new space was she that Delphine almost forgot that Dr. Leekie was still in the room with her until he spoke up,

"Will it satisfy your needs?" Dr. Leekie asked, again she didn't like the way he phrased things. If she didn't know any better she would think he was coming on to her but that was illogical.

"I think it will more than suffice, merci, Dr. Leekie," she told him graciously. Over Dr. Leekie's shoulder, Delphine caught sight of Cosima leaning against the doorway with her arms crossed. She couldn't read the other woman's face behind the glare of the artificial light on her thick-rimmed glasses.

"Well, if you require anything just put in a request and I'll see that it gets granted," just as he finished saying this, the harsh ring of his cell phone startled her.

"Excuse me, I have to take this. Shall we meet tomorrow around noon to complete the rest of your orientation?" he asked, after checking the screen on the phone and Delphine replied with, "Of course," before he turned to the woman behind him in the doorway.

"Cosima, you wouldn't mind helping Dr. Cormier getting settled and showing her around would you?" Dr. Leekie suggested, walking towards Cosima and the door. The dark-haired woman pushed herself away from the frame so he could pass and replied,

"Yeah, yeah. Obvs. Scott's going to be thrilled there's another female in the building." Delphine could see the teasing look in Cosima's eyes as she nodded towards her, past Dr. Leekie.

"Excellent. You ladies have a good day. And we're glad to have you on the team, Dr. Cormier. We're going to do some great work together," he finished with what was probably supposed to come off as a friendly smile, but what Delphine felt was, again, a little flirty. Like before, she did her best to ignore it and shifted her focus to the woman across the room who was staring back at her.

"So, what do you think?" Cosima asked her with a small smile on her lips. Delphine couldn't help but match the other woman's expression. Just the idea of working in her own lab across from Cosima, made Delphine practically giddy with excitement.

"I love it! C'est incroyable," she replied, hardly believing that all of this was real. Leaving Paris had been one the most difficult decisions she had ever made but she was glad she hadn't let the fear of the unknown stop her from taking a chance on this opportunity. It already seemed to be paying off.

Cosima's smile widened and Delphine could see the chocolate-colored eyes radiating sincere happiness for her. Then the shorter woman stepped further into the room and over to a set of hooks on the wall that Delphine hadn't even noticed when she walked in.

"Well, we should probably make it official, then," Cosima's voice carried over to her despite the woman facing away from her. Delphine couldn't quite see what she was doing but when Cosima turned around Delphine was sure her this day couldn't get much better.

Carrying a pristine, white lab coat, Cosima approached her, stopping mere feet away from her and held it open invitingly. Delphine didn't think it was possible for her smile to get any bigger but the sight of the lab coat, her lab coat, stretched her lips to the limit.

Quickly, she shed her long black coat and tossed it and her bag on one of the empty stainless steel tables. She allowed her eyes to meet Cosima's briefly before she turned her body slightly away from her and slipped an arm into the coat. Delphine could feel the dark-haired woman step up closer behind her and she instinctively sucked in a breath and held it, biting her lip slightly. Cosima was so close and it was making her heart pound erratically in her chest. Try as she might, Delphine couldn't quite convince herself that these body symptoms were simply from the excitement of starting a new job.

Trying to regain some semblance of control, Delphine snaked her other arm into the coat and allowed Cosima to help her shrug into it. She took a shaky breath and reached up to slide her hair out from under the collar of the coat before spinning to face Cosima once again, the smile back on her face.

"You ready for the grand tour, Dr. Cormier?" the other woman asked with false pomp, which made Delphine elicit a small laugh. Glancing down, she caught sight of the embroidery just above her heart, "Dr. Delphine Cormier, Director of Immunology."

A content smile curved her lips as she glanced back up at the expectant woman in front of her and she replied simply,

"Oui, allons-y."

* * *

The first stop on the tour had been a quick trip across the hall to Cosima's lab so she could drop off her own jacket and bag. As she slipped the red-woolen fabric from her shoulders, Cosima couldn't help the feeling of eyes on her. She threw a glance over her shoulder at Delphine, who stood a few feet inside the door way. When Cosima's eyes landed on her, the French woman appeared to be gazing around the room, but there was a slight flush on her pale cheeks as if she had almost been caught staring.

Grinning to herself, Cosima pulled her own lab coat on her shoulders and clipped her ID tag onto the breast pocket. She turned around and caught sight of Delphine running her hands over the fluffy couch that had been an absolute bitch to get down here but was a hundred percent necessary. Deciding to approach the blonde, Cosima quietly stepped up next to her but Delphine seemed to be lost in thought because she didn't seem to notice her presence yet.

Cosima didn't say anything for a moment, instead she simply watched the other woman. Shiny curls partially obscured her face but she could still see the gentle curve of the woman's nose and the slight crease in the skin of her forehead. She seemed to be thinking about something intently and Cosima had a feeling it wasn't about the couch.

"Hey, you okay?" Cosima's voice broke the silence and Delphine's head snapped up immediately, a smile returning to her lips.

"Oh, oui! Just admiring how, uh… what is the word?" Delphine started, pausing to try and grasp the word she was looking for. Cosima smiled and waited patiently, unable to assist the woman with what she was trying to say but enjoying watching the woman's face as she searched her mind. She had never been good with languages, so she always had a great respect for people who were multilingual. Then, the woman's face smoothed with realization and finished, "Cozy. How cozy your lab is."

English sounded so much prettier in that accent, Cosima decided. She could easily listen to Delphine's voice all day long.

"Uh, thanks. We get a lot of freedom with our labs. It won't take long for you to make your lab your own little space," Cosima replied, forcing herself to step away from the woman and towards the door.

"Come on, there's plenty more to see," Cosima pulled the door open and held it for the French woman. She could have stayed there alone with the woman all day but they had to move along if she was going to be able to show Delphine around and introduce her to all of the staff.

Delphine nodded and whispered a 'merci,' as she made her way out of Cosima's lab and into the hall. Cosima followed and gestured down the hall in the direction they had come from, explaining,

"Those are all of the individual labs. Each researching professor has their own but there is also one we all share down this way to collaborate and all that fun stuff. Come on, I'll show you."

She made her way down the hall, noting how Delphine had to drastically shorten her stride to match hers. For some reason, this simple act by the other woman made the butterflies return and Cosima smiled to herself at the feeling.

They reached the door to the main lab more quickly than Cosima would have liked.

"Uh, maybe you should try your ID tag. You know, to make sure it works on this door too," she suggested and Delphine complied, reaching up and swiping her card over the scanner; as expected it turned green instantly.

Cosima was a little surprised though when the taller woman leaned forward and pushed the door open, holding it for her to walk through. Cosima felt her ears warm up just a tiny bit as she had to step dangerously close to Delphine's body to go through the doorway. Their coats brushed against each other as she walked by but Cosima did her best to ignore that fact.

Once she was through, Delphine stepped up beside her and glanced around the large room. This was actually where Cosima liked to do most of work because she felt working with the other researchers helped her own research. Every now and then she liked the privacy and quiet of working in her own lab but she spent a lot of time in this room. There was something about the collaborative nature of a bunch of highly talented scientists being in a room together that made her a better scientist, at least that's how she felt.

"Oh, wow," her attention was drawn to the familiar male voice. Scott stepped out from behind one of the lab tables towards them.

"Hey, Scott. This is Dr. Delphine Cormier. You know, the new Director of Immunology Dr. Leekie was telling us about last week," Cosima greeted with a short explanation, trying to conceal her slight impatience. Scott was a great scientist and relatively harmless but Cosima could not get over the way he always acted like he'd never seen a female before. Not that she could really say anything; she'd had the same reaction when she laid eyes on Delphine for the first time this morning.

"Bonjour," Delphine gave the tall, brunette man a polite smile and a small wave. Scott let out the dorkiest giggle Cosima had ever heard which she could only respond to with a slight shake of her head.

"Scott is the head of the genetics department and I'm head of Evo Devo," Cosima filled in the awkward silence that Scott had created as he stood there with a goofy smile on his face. She turned her attention back to the woman beside her and saw confusion crease her brow before it smoothed with recognition.

"Ah, Evolutionary Development, yes? Very interesting," Delphine replied, giving Cosima what seemed to be an appraising look, one that made Cosima feel very shy all of sudden. Another giggle from Scott, this time directed at her, made Cosima's newfound feelings a little too exposed.

"All right, well that's the main lab. Anyway, lots more to see. Bye, Scott," Cosima said in a rush, turning on her heel and heading towards the door.

"Nice to meet you, Scott," Delphine bid the male scientist farewell and she followed Cosima to the exit. All the while, Scott giggling at both of them.

* * *

 **I hope to have the third chapter posted before the end of the week. Keep the reviews coming! I absolutely ALL feedback, positive and negative. I think it helps me grow as a writer. Again, thank you!**


	3. Blow this Joint

**Hope you all are still enjoying where this story is going. I'd love any and all feedback!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 3: Blow this Joint**

Cosima had showed her around the entire Biology Department; the offices, the break room, the labs, the lecture halls, everything. Now, they had come full circle despite Delphine slowing her pace to almost a crawl in order to buy herself a few more moments with the woman beside her. They eventually came to a halt in front of the door to her lab and stood there awkwardly for a second, both of unsure of themselves.

Delphine, for one, wasn't ready for the tour to be over. If it was over that meant Cosima would go to her lab and leave her to her own devices. While there was no doubt that she was thrilled to have her own lab and wanted to get it all set up, Delphine was also drawn to Cosima and wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. So, she was relieved when the American woman spoke her next words,

"You hungry? I know a place nearby that makes killer grilled cheese sandwiches."

Delphine absolutely loved the way this woman phrased things. There was very little slang in French but Americans seemed to take the Queen's English and make it a completely different language. She had a feeling that she was going to learn a lot of interesting phrases from this woman.

"Oui, I'd love some lunch," Delphine replied, unable to control the smile on her face. Today, was only getting better by the moment.

"Sweet! Let me just grab my coat and we'll blow this joint," Cosima told her with a smile that mirrored her own and holding up a finger to get her to wait.

"Moi aussi," Delphine thought it would probably be best to switch her lab coat for her regular jacket as well, so she turned, swiped her ID on her new lab, and stepped inside. She swiftly shrugged off her lab coat and placed it on the hook, grabbing her black trench coat in the process and pulling it on.

Stepping back out into the hall, Delphine caught sight of Cosima pacing back and forth in front of her own lab door. The woman seemed to be muttering something to herself and rubbing her temples with the tips of her fingers in what looked like worry.

"Cosima,…ça va? Are you alright?" Delphine asked, she didn't attempt to hide the concern in her voice. Though she spoke English fluently, she seemed to keep slipping into her native tongue when around this woman. Delphine decided just to chalk it up to nerves on her first day but part of her knew that wasn't it.

"Say wha? I mean, yea I'm fine. Let's get going," Cosima seemed somewhat flustered but Delphine didn't pry. Instead, she came to stand next to the shorter woman in three easy strides before shortening her gait to match Cosima's as they strode back down the hall.

They walked in silence for a few moments but Delphine felt the need to hear the woman's voice again, so she struck up a conversation.

"So, what's it like working with Dr. Leekie?" she wasn't sure why she asked this question. Maybe it was because she wanted to know more about her new boss but she had a feeling it was more due to the nagging discomfort she had about him since they had met this morning. Try as she might, she couldn't quite let this uneasiness go.

Delphine chanced a sideways glance at the woman next to her. Cosima had her lapels flipped up to block her cheeks from the bitter cold wind but Delphine saw the woman's face tilt up towards hers at her question.

"Well, I mean, I haven't had any issues with him," Cosima replied and Delphine got the sense she was trying to not speak negatively about her boss but she continued anyway, "but full disclosure: he can be kind of a dick when it comes to the research. He has very little patience for people who don't see eye to eye with him, you know?"

Delphine listened intently to the American woman and felt a little nervous about this new information. Of course, she had done her research about Dr. Leekie before accepting the position but she had no qualms about the kind of science he was doing. Eugenics, Neolution, self-directed evolution none of it scared her as a scientist. She had learned very early in her career to have an open mind and let the science speak for itself but her personal feeling towards some of these topics was another story entirely. Her true passion was to study host-parasite relations and to develop cures, or at the very least vaccines, to treat auto-immune diseases. This University had seemed like her best chance of doing that.

"We're here," Cosima's voice brought her out of her thoughts and Delphine glanced up at the restaurant in front of them. The sign said it was called, "Fromage" and a wide smile spread her features as she turned to look at Cosima. The woman's smile matched her own with an added shrug.

"So, honestly, there's, like, nothing French about this place, but I'd thought you might like it anyway," Cosima explained and Delphine couldn't help but feel a little flutter in her chest at the other woman's genuine smile and thoughtfulness.

"I'm sure I will," Delphine replied with a smile, before allowing Cosima to lead her into the restaurant.

* * *

"All right. Rules of lunch: absolutely no talking about work," Cosima told Delphine flat out after they had received their plates from the waitress. The French woman gave her an amused look before taking a bite of her sandwich. A small moan rumbled in the woman's throat, as she closed her eyes and seemed to revel in the taste. Snorting back a laugh, Cosima took that as her cue to take a bite of her own fig and goat cheese sandwich.

"C'est délicieux! Delphine exclaimed, once she had swallowed her first bite. Cosima grinned with delight at the woman across from her, feeling successful. She did her best not to stare while Delphine ate but Cosima was completely convinced that everything this woman did was beautiful.

This whole day, Cosima had been trying to convince herself that she was just being stupid but the facts didn't lie. There was something about this French woman that made Cosima need to be near her. She didn't know her at all but it was almost a biological imperative that she had to get to know her.

"So, Paris, huh? Were you born there?" Cosima asked while in between bites. Delphine shook her head as she finished chewing and swallowed, taking a moment to take a sip of her water.

"Non, I just lived and worked there after University. I was actually born and raised in Lille," Delphine replied, then seemed to notice Cosima's lack of recognition and continued, "It's actually a fairly large city in the very north-east of France, near the border with Belgium."

"Ah, gotcha. Well, I feel like a stereotypical, narcissistic American for having no idea where that is or that it even existed until you mentioned it," Cosima only half-joked feeling slightly self-conscious about her geographical incompetence. Delphine shook her head emphatically, curls bouncing from side to side as she assured her,

"Nonsense. I had no idea where… Minnie-ah-police… was until Dr. Leekie contacted me." Cosima felt amusement bubble inside of her at the butchering of 'Minneapolis' the way she had struggled with 'Minnesota' earlier. But that was short lived when the woman laid her bare hand on top of hers on the table. Warmth seemed to spread from the point of contact up her arm and straight to her chest. It took the air right out of Cosima's lungs and she had to focus on keeping her face stoic despite the rush of blood to her ears as well. As quickly as it was there, the French woman removed her hand just as swiftly. Convincing herself that it was merely meant to be a comforting gesture, Cosima gathered her breath to reply with a small, anxious laugh.

"Uh, yea but to be fair, most Americans wouldn't even be able to point out the state of Minnesota on a map even if it was labelled," she wished she was making that shit up but it was true. Cosima hadn't really known where it was up until she had started looking for colleges with biology programs she could apply for a job at.

Delphine's lips broke into a wide grin again but she took another bite of her lunch before responding, giving Cosima the chance to do the same and calm her frazzled nerves as well.

"So, where are you from originally, Cosima?" the French woman asked politely but Cosima almost missed the question she was so caught up in the sound of the words. Her rebellious heart was pounding out of control again and her breathing hitched a little when the woman said her name. At that moment, Cosima decided that Delphine should be the only one allowed to say her name. Just the way she said it made it sound like that's the way it was supposed to said.

"I spent most of my life in San Francisco. Went to Berkeley and all," Cosima replied, attempting to appear like she was not completely enthralled in the woman across from her.

"Ah, were you a, how do you say…a hippie?" Delphine asked teasingly, after finishing her sandwich and Cosima almost choked on hers with laughter. Once she settled herself, Cosima quipped,

"Me? Nah, but I was raised by a couple of them though. But me, not really. I like reggae as much as the next Californian but I enjoy showers too much, obvs," Cosima joked causing Delphine to laugh as well, a sound that made that fluttering in Cosima's abdomen return.

"Any hippie siblings?" Delphine questioned, the playful gleam still in her eye to which Cosima replied,

"Uh…yea, I have six sisters and an adoptive brother. There's a punk, a soccer mom, a cop, a beautician, a CEO, and there's not really an easy way to sum up Helena but Felix is an artist. No hippies though," Cosima waited and watched for Delphine's reaction. She usually tried to float the whole Septuplet thing a little lighter but she had asked and she wasn't really ashamed of it. She could see the amazement on the French woman's perfect face and could tell she was a little at a loss for words. After a pregnant pause, Delphine seemed to find her speech,

"Wow, eight children? That seems like a very full household. Where do you rank among your siblings?" Delphine asked and Cosima let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She definitely hadn't intended to have this conversation with the woman but she wasn't going to avoid it. She was grateful that Delphine didn't seem too terribly phased by it either.

"Well, yea about that… we actually were given up for adoption by our biological mother at birth and ended up being kind of spread out. A couple of years ago Beth, the police officer, tracked us all down and we've been working on getting to know each other," Cosima responded with a small smile, remembering how they had all met up in Toronto not too long ago, immediately seeing the crazy resemblance they all had to each other and how completely different they all were. Ever since then she would catch up with one or two of them at a time, especially Sarah and Alison so she could see her nieces and nephew.

It hadn't been easy going from an only child to having six sisters and an adoptive brother as well as two nieces, a nephew, and then there was Mrs. S, who had adopted Sarah and Felix. It had just become a whole new set of people who were biologically related to her but couldn't be anymore different. But they were learning about each other and she was excited to get that chance.

Cosima watched as Delphine took in this additional piece of information, praying that it wasn't too much for the woman to swallow, but the French woman merely looked awed and intrigued by Cosima's story.

"That is amazing. I cannot imagine what that must have been like for you," Delphine's voice was full of wonder, not pity, which took Cosima a little off guard. Usually, people wanted to feel bad for her or at least pretend to at the very least. But this woman looked at Cosima as though she was a rare book and she couldn't wait to turn the next page to find out what happens. Cosima kind of felt the same way about her though.

"Yeah, pretty weird stuff but I love them. I hardly know them but as soon as I met them it was like, boom, this is my family…," Cosima couldn't explain the emotion she was having, telling essentially a stranger something so personal about herself, but she continued nonetheless, diverting the attention off herself for a moment, "You have any siblings?"

Delphine seemed surprised that Cosima would ask her that question but replied with a shake of her head, "Oh no, I am an only child. You know, unless one day I discover I have six long-lost siblings."

Cosima laughed at that. Delphine was quick, she'd give her that.

* * *

They finished their lunch and Cosima suggested they get back to the labs. Delphine could spend all day with the woman across from her but she really should get her lab set up. Plus, Cosima probably had actual work to do.

So, they got back to the University and parted ways to their separate labs. Delphine stood in the center of her new space and started moving things around, testing to see where she would like them best. While her body was doing all of this, her mind was completely distracted, full of thoughts of the dreadlocked woman across the hall.

Cosima had such an infectious personality. From her quirky mannerisms to the witty way that she spoke, Delphine was fascinated by the American. She had enjoyed every minute of the day with the woman and now they were separated, even by less than twenty to thirty meters, Delphine had the overwhelming urge to close the distance.

Now that she was alone in her lab, with the mindless task of moving equipment around, Delphine's brain was free to study these newfound feelings. It seemed that being close to Cosima made her heart pound in her chest with excitement and nervous energy. Her breathing became difficult and speaking, at least coherently, became a challenge.

As a scientist, Delphine could not ignore the obvious signs of attraction she was feeling towards Cosima but logically speaking her brain could not negotiate this new information. It wasn't that she was opposed to the idea of being with a woman, not at all. She was aware of the biases and inherent heterosexism that was socially conditioned into herself and the majority of people but it just wasn't something she had ever considered for herself.

The culture in France was generally that lovers, of either sex, were acceptable but there were definitely those that were rigorously opposed to gays and lesbians. She remembered a girl she once knew at boarding school who had "unnatural" relations with another girl (the housemistress's words, not hers) and had slit her forearms open in an attempt to kill herself to escape the shame from her religious family. So, Delphine was more than aware of the dissonance between how the French thought they were progressive and in a lot of way still backwards.

Delphine herself had always been fairly liberal when it came to her personal beliefs but had never really given her own sexuality much thought. She couldn't say she had never been attracted to a woman but she had definitely never allowed herself to really consider taking any action or pursuing those feelings. Though she had also never been too attached to the men she had been with either. Now, she wondered if being with men had just been a convenience, something that would not rock the boat while she focused on her studies. Could that possibly be?

' _I think I am getting a little ahead of myself here_ ,' Delphine thought to herself, sighing in consternation. This was not something she was going to pick apart today. There was so much else she should be focusing on, like not messing up her new job. As she thought this, Delphine was startled by the sound of a knock on her door. She looked around and saw that, while she had gotten everything arranged as she would like, not much else had gotten accomplished.

Hesitantly, she made her way to the door and pulled it open, revealing the one person she had hoped. Cosima's toothy smile flashed back at her and that pounding in her chest began anew, except this time Delphine felt hyper-aware of it. The shorter woman stood there, back in her red wool coat, her bag hitched up on her shoulder.

"Hey, just wanted to see how you were doing. Also, it's past five, so it's quittin' time, as our friends to the south would say," Cosima greeted, glancing around the room before resting her chocolate-colored eyes back on Delphine.

"Oh, wow. Already? I feel like I didn't get much accomplished today," Delphine replied, self-consciously averting her eyes from the woman.

"Oh, whatevs. It's your first day. No one expects you to get anything done," Cosima assured her with a friendly smile. Delphine nodded in cautious agreement, turning to slip her lab coat off and hang it up, replacing it with her black one in preparation to leave.

"Are you taking the bus home?" Delphine asked, trying to sound off hand, but her pounding heart revealed her investment in the other woman's answer.

"Yeah. You?" she confirmed shortly, looking to Delphine for a similar response which she gave in the form of a simple, "oui."

The two women made their way out of the empty halls of the University and onto the streets of Minneapolis. At this time of year the sun set early and darkness was already starting to take ahold of the campus. Delphine didn't mind the weather, familiar with the cold, even though it seemed to be a different kind of cold than she was used to in France. She was glad for Cosima's presence though in the unfamiliar area though, certain that if she had trouble finding her way in broad daylight, who knew where she would end up trying to navigate this new city in the dark.

Luckily and unluckily, they didn't have to wait long for their bus to pull up at the stop. Luckily because they didn't have to stand out in the cold and unluckily because that meant that the time Delphine had with Cosima was dwindling for today.

They spent the majority of the trip in silence, Delphine's chest already aching with dread as they neared her stop. She glanced beside her at the dreadlocked woman and felt compelled to say something, anything before their time ran out. She knew that she was being silly since she would see the woman again tomorrow but the feeling of her chest being crushed intensified as the bus approached her stop.

"I'll see you tomorrow then?" she asked, unsure why she was so anxious.

"Yea, as long as I didn't scare you off," Cosima assured her with a playful smirk and Delphine mirrored her with a smile of her own.

"Not yet. I think we should try an earlier bus tomorrow. You know, so we are on time," she teased, already feeling the bus decelerating and pulling towards the curb.

"Well, all right then. See you tomorrow," Cosima bid her farewell. Delphine started down the aisle, throwing her response over her shoulder with a smile,

"À bientôt, Cosima."

Pausing at the end of the aisle, she searched back in the crowd on the bus with her eyes where she had left the dreadlocked woman. When their eyes met, Delphine gave Cosima a small wave, which was enthusiastically returned. Finally she stepped off the bus onto the pavement of the sidewalk. Try as she might, Delphine couldn't stop smiling to herself the entirety of her walk to her building and up to her apartment. Once there, she unlocked the door and swung it open, dropping her things right in the doorway and closing the door behind her. Slowly, Delphine leaned back against the metal of the door and closed her eyes, biting her lip to control the rampant smile and failing miserably with the simple thought,

' _I am going to like it here, I think_.'

* * *

 **There it is! A little later than I intended but here nonetheless. I have the next chapter all written and it's going to be giving us a little more back story on these ladies. The fluff meter will only increase after that! I hope you all are liking this. Please review and let me know what you think!**


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